SoapUi, Groovy and the meaning of life

SoapUi is generally known as a tool for testing web services. Opinion divides on whether to call working with it a pleasure or a torture due to certain differences in professional background of those who gives that opinion. Personally, I believe that is it is a really good tool, but, unlike a washing machine, it needs its fantastic manual to be looked though at the very least: http://www.soapui.org/

Like many other IT tools SoapUi comes in two variants: paid and free of charge community edition. And on top of these two there are two ways of using it (which one you chose depends on your level of expertise). They are:
-- using it as any other UI-based tool
-- use it as extendible multi-purpose multi-tool with some UI for backward compatibility with the brains of normal users.
The latter will be discussed as a remedi against professional midlife crisis and the like.

Why meaning of life though? The thing is I see SoapUi and testing of web services as a great opportunity for those people who crave technical tasks, but can not get them either due to a limited skill with Java or because of all the tasty vacancies being filled in already. Practice proves that dissatisfaction with your job does not always result from shortcomings of your profession but from your lack of understanding what would make up for them. In other words, because you failed to identify the root cause of your dissatisfaction. Please note that it is assumed that the root cause is purely professional and not psychological (as psychological issues are out of scope for this post).

The big trick is that you can manage SoapUi API by means of Groovy scripting to achieve your ends and in this you are limited by almost only your own fantasy. If described in a simple language Groovy is Java turned into a scripting language (for a less simple definition please use http://groovy.codehaus.org/). So if you chose to use free SoapUi with Groovy scripting you are only limited by:
-- what Java can do
-- what Groovy can do
-- what is provided in SoapUi API for your version of SoapUi (major relesase, free vs paid version: a couple of features are missing from paid version plus you can not design your extentions as a linked Groovy project and you will have to work around that)
-- your expertise with SoapUi
-- your understading of what you want to get in the end
-- common sense and the KISS principle

Using SoapUi with Groovy for testing tasks allows you to do a lot of very interesting work, including but not limited to designing of functional requirements for your tool, designing architecture for your tool, implementing it by applying you technical skills and ability to research (yes, you will have to do a lot of research to be able to work comfortably with Groovy scripting in SoapUi) and finally understanding that you were able to do something tangible and useful. Not to mention that this helps you to keep your technical skills in a good shape.

Enjoy your web services =)

PS: It is important to remember that SoapUi requires non-zero entry level when it comes to technical skills. To work comfortably with it you have to have a clear understanding what web services do, what they consist of, what you want to automate not to mention being familiar with Java and Groovy (syntax, data types, secrets of JVM and the basics of OOP). Otherwise it is better to limit your ambitions to UI-based approach not to get hurt in the process.